Chapter 11: The Deity of Brother Pig

A friend of mine asked me for the favor of helping a businessman to set up a shrine. The businessman heard of my reputation, and decided that he ought to invite me to set up a shrine.

During the period when I was giving consultations and inspections in geomancy, I not only inspected homes and graves, but also shrines. I'm extremely accurate and efficacious in helping people set up shrines. Anyway, I've won myself a great reputation.

The pithy formula of inspecting where to set up a shrine is:

• The method of emery hands. (Both sides have leans)
• The method of the water deity. (Greeting the fortune deity)
• The method of immortal life. (The prescription for prosperity)

I was invited to the businessman's residence, and he showed me the statue of the deity. The deity had big ears that could fan the wind, long nostrils, and a naked chest and belly. His belly was round, and his hands held a rake. This deity's appearance was exactly that of the Brother Pig Deity.

This Brother Pig Deity was no one else but the Pig Pa-chieh portrayed in the novel The Journey to the West. The Pig Pa-chieh exemplifies being greedy for food, and being fond of the pleasures of flesh.

I came to realize that the shrine was used to worship the lewd Brother Pig Deity instead of the Earth Deity (the deity with blessings and virtues).

I asked the businessman: "What business are you planning to do in the future?"

The businessman said: "A Bar."

In Hong Kong or overseas, a bar is a place to dine in, but in Taiwan a bar is really a place of sex business where one drinks alcohol and is accompanied by bar girls.

Having heard his claim, I was greatly shocked.

This is terrible!

I said to myself:

A Buddhist is forbidden to do three professions: the business of slaughtering (killing), the business of gambling (encouraging greed), and the business of sex (carnality). These three kinds of business involve the infraction of precepts, which will also affect one's causality and retribution. It is best that one does not get involved in any one of these businesses. Furthermore, the businessman who invited me was not a Buddhist. Since I'm an esoteric practitioner, how could I help him set up a shrine?

Moreover, I know the heavenly law. In the bars, men and bar girls drink alcohol and derive pleasure from entertainment. Drinking alcohol is only a medium, but actually it really entails one's sexual thoughts arising and one's hands moving. One's hands carry out inappropriate actions, and one takes advantage of being physically close to others. By cleverly seducing and through playing tricks, two will embrace and tease each other, and their hands and mouths will come together. This is the offence of debauchery committed by one's mouth, hands, and body.

There are very few who go to a bar for a drink only, for almost everyone is prone to corruption. Alcohol is the medium for sexual pleasure. Afterwards, everyone enters secret rooms in pairs, uniting two into one, and it becomes a picture of two white naked bodies glued together.

By committing the offence of debauchery by mouth, hands, and body, one's lifespan and fortune are reduced, suffering a short lifespan and a demotion, and one becomes down in luck and poverty-stricken. If one were to be reborn as a human again, one would have shrinking hands and feet, and would have difficulty moving about. One's hands cannot open, and one has broken fingers. One suffers from running sores, stinky hands, hemophilia, and so on.

If I were to help the bar to set up a shrine, and help Pig Pa-chieh to reside there in an opening ceremony, would this be indirectly harming others?

If I were to hold an opening ceremony for the Deity of Brother Pig, he would possess great efficacy! He would attach himself to many men, and induce them to lose control and become addicted. They would want to go to the bar every night!

They would drool with the thought of possessing!
Their eyes would be filled with the expression of sexual lust!
They would think desperately about sexual pleasure!
Their nostrils would sniff in desperation!

Their three spirits and seven souls would fly to the sky, and their mind and spirit would be completely lost. Their spirits would be far gone, lost in carnal pleasure!

The Deity of Brother Pig is very frightening, indeed. He is more evil than other devious deities, for he can help the sex business make a fortune.

At that point, I decided to stop right there. I could not help that businessman set up a shrine, and I could not hold an opening ceremony for the Deity Brother Pig.

I said: "I can't do it!"

The businessman asked: "Why?"

I only stood there and stuttered without knowing what to say. Although I understand the principle of things and won't compromise with evil - but I will help those who are weak, and relieve those in misfortune - at that moment I could not take the drastic measure of refusing that businessman. It was because my friend had asked me for a favor, and I had immediately agreed. How could I renege my decision now?

I was really in a dilemma, and I could not make a decision.

At that moment, a spiritual light flashed in front of me, and the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond whispered in my ear: " You go ahead and hold the opening ceremony! I will be responsible for all consequences."

I braced myself upon hearing her.

If the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond wished to take responsibility, then there would be no problems! The official name of the Golden Mother is: "the Great Sage of the Western King of the Respectable Divine Golden Mother of the Ultimate Primordial Pond." She is the miraculous primal energy of the west, residing in the West, which belongs to the earth element. She is one of the most venerated deities of the five directions.

Legend says that the Mother of the Western King is the Golden Mother, who is of the highest rank of the Yin essence. Together, the Golden Mother and the Wooden Father are in charge of the two energies of yin and yang, raising earth, and nourishing all things. All female immortals in the three realms of the ten directions are governed by the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond.

It is said in the Taochi Sutra that is collected in the Taoist Canon that:

"In her palace, the Mother of the Western King is seated in the west facing east. She wears a golden coat, rich and clear in bright colors, shining virtuously and solemnly. She wears a spiritually empowered band, with an all-powerful sword on her waist. She wears a decorated crown with fabulous flowers on its top, and her shoes are made from the texture of the mysterious phoenix. She appears thirty years old, with her fitting size and figure. She has a natural beauty, and her beauty is beyond that of the mundane world. She is a deity who is truly endowed with high accomplishment."

The Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond claimed:

"My appearance, in this matter, is for a mysterious reason. Do not worry about the opening ceremony, for I will be assisting you. The minds of sentient beings are polluted by sexual desire, I would like to use this opportunity to advise people to make their lives meaningful. "

Okay! I began the opening ceremony:

"Deity of heaven! Deity of earth! Deity of the sun and the moon! Please come and radiate light. With the light of opening the eyes, the deity observes the world; with the light of opening the mouth, the deity calls out; with the light of opening the ears, the deity listens to sound, and with the light of opening the heart."

I repeatedly recited this mantra of opening the eyes and so forth and invoking the light of the deity many times.

I said to myself, how come this Pig Pa-chieh hasn't arrived yet? On the offering tables, they had prepared a complete course of vegetarian and meat dishes: of the steam buns of Shandong style alone, they had prepared one hundred and eight. They had also prepared Fen brandy from Shanxi that is hard to find, and Sorghum wine from Taiwan, and whiskey from the Mainland.

At that moment, I heard a loud clumsy noise!

Pig Pa-chieh leaped down from the air. This Pig Pa-chieh, with one gulp, ate ten big steam buns, and one bottle of sorghum wine.

Because of the opening ceremony conducted by me, this bar's business flourished indeed. Customers appeared in large numbers.

The parking lot was so full that many cars could only park on the street.
Crowds rushed in like the dashing of waves.
The bar was making money like a flood rushing in.
The owner and the bar girls had a countenance beaming with smiles!

Seeing what had developed, I was greatly shocked. What should I do? Their flourishing business gave me a peculiar pleasure of surprise, for this was all due to my skills in geomancy inspection and the opening ceremony I had performed. Yet, what worried me was that this was a sex bar that pollutes people. This bar's business was becoming so glorious that wouldn't more people become hurt? The bar was making a great fortune and they did not give me any of their shares, and I wouldn't want to take their shares anyway, for it concerned a matter of justice! It is terrible that I invited Pig Pa-chieh to come down and harm people.

Where is the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond?
Didn't she want to take any responsibility?
Did she intend to harm me?

The owner of the bar, who had asked me to inspect his shrine, was extremely excited by seeing his business flourish, with vast amounts of money flowing in, and every man becoming a pig's mouth, squealing over women.

He invited me again to inspect another shrine and to hold an opening ceremony for the Deity of Brother Pig. He had proceeded to open two franchise bars, and he laughed so much that he couldn't even close his mouth.

When a person encounters some good luck, he is very happy. The businessman recommended to others that Teacher Lu's inspection was number one. The opening ceremony held by Teacher Lu for the Deity of Brother Pig was especially efficacious. This caused a lot of trouble for me, for I had to hold opening ceremonies everywhere for those businessmen, and I almost became a teacher of brother pig!

One day, when I was passing by the bar, I was stunned!

Nobody was there.

The door was locked.

I was surprised that when I went to the other two franchise bars, the gates were rolled down, there was not even a single person there, and all the lights were out.

It was the same situation at all three bars.

What was going on?

When the bars' business was at its peak, crowds flew in without stopping, and the bars were well known, from both near and afar. There were many beautiful girls there, which attracted scholars, farmers, laborers, and businessmen who crowded there. The owner of the business had become a celebrity of the financial world.

The owner of the business came to visit me.

I asked, "What happened?"

The owner of the business replied with a downcast expression, "I invested all my capital in a mining business, and there was an accident that happened at the mine. All my capital went down the drain, which involved my three bars. Now I have paid off all my debt, and I'm left without a penny."

The owner asked, "Was there any mistake regarding your inspection?"

I smiled, "I only inspected the bar, but not the mine!"

"I suppose you're right."

The owner had a forced smile, "How come the deity did not bless me?"

I replied, "The Deity Brother Pig only blessed the bar to make a good business. He was worshipped in the bar, not in the mine! After all, the deity in the mine and the Deity Brother Pig are not compatible. This is like how the West King of Ch'in should be worshipped if one is in a local opera business, and the Teacher Lu Pan should be worshipped if one is in a carpentry business."

The owner left in grief. Looking at his back and shadow gradually drifting further and further, my heart was full of exclamation! Worldly affairs change constantly: some go from rich to poor, and some go from poor to rich. The poor and the rich exchange, and disasters and blessings are truly connected with each other. If there had been no fortune made at the three bars, how would there have been a disaster at the mine?

This so-called fortune cannot be determined.

This so-called disaster can also not be determined.

After a while, that businessman surprised me again, for he joined a monastic order. He appeared as a monk. His appearance was perfect and solemn without any bigotry. He had completely changed.

I asked him, "You've became a monk?"

"Yes."

"For what reason?"

"In my dream, a female deity clearly emerged, and told me that I had been a monk in my previous life. I should become a monk in this lifetime."

I suddenly understood that the deity of his dream was the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond.

He said, "My past was a momentary thought of ignorance."

"And now?"

"Now, I understand that the Buddhist truth is true and non-illusory, and Suchness is constant and non-changing."

"What are you practicing?"

"I am practicing to return to my original nature. The original nature is constant, non-changing, and non-different, which is what is said in the Heart Sutra: neither birth nor extinction, neither increase nor decrease, neither filth nor purity. This is the dharma of non-action, and it is also referred to as the Buddha-nature, the Dharma-body, the storehouse of the Tathagata, the True Reality, the Dharma-realm, the Dharma-nature, and emptiness."

"What about your past?"

"That was a false mind."

"And now?"

"A true mind."

"Your past and present?"

"All dharmas are based on the substance of Suchness. Because of the function of causes and conditions, they appear to have birth and extinction."

The monk said, "All things in my life have changed. I don't kill anymore, I don't steal, and even more so, I especially don't commit adultery, I don't give false speech, and I don't drink. I don't even wear any expensive clothes; I don't listen to songs, and I don't watch dance shows. I don't sleep in big beds, and I don't eat at certain times. I have no savings in gold, silver, jewelry, and belongings."

"This is to maintain precepts."

"Correct."

I said to the monk, "You are now a monk, and this is the real great career. This career is to penetrate the truth of the universe and life, in order to cause sentient beings to transform their ignorance to enlightenment, which is a great career transcending birth and death.

I praised the Great Sage of the Western King of the Respectable Divine Golden Mother of the Ultimate Primordial Pond. She wanted me to hold the opening ceremony for the Deity of Brother Pig in order to allow the bar to have a successful business. Then she let the bar close down. By the process of the bar going from success to failure, she led the owner to become a monk. The whole event was skillfully arranged by the Golden Mother from the beginning to the end. The Golden Mother knew it all from the beginning.

In my view, the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond has emerged in this world for one great cause and condition. This great cause and condition is to transform and liberate sentient beings.

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